Spring trip-foot.



J. G. VANCE.

- SPRING TRIP FOOT.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.18. 1909.

949,785, Patented Feb.22,1910

*T @FFIQE JOHN C. VANCE, OF VALLEY MIILLS, TEXAS.

SPRING TRIP-FOOT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed October 18, 1909. Serial No. 523,289.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. VANCE, citizen of the United States, residing at Valley Mills, in the county of Bosque and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Trip-Feet, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in spring trip foot pieces and more particularly to that class of spring trip foot pieces that are adapted to support the small plow carried behind the opening plow on a planter.

The object of my invention is to provide a spring trip foot piece which will normally hold a suitable plow in the ground, but one which will allow the plow to tilt back should the same encounter a stone or other hard substance.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which can be readily attached to any cultivator or planter.

Finally the object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which will be simple, strong, durable and efficient and one wh1ch will be comparatively inexpensive to construct and will not be liable to get out of working order.

lVith these and other objects in view, my invention has relation with certain novel features of construction and operation, an example of which is described in the fol lowing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l. is a side elevation of my device, Fig. 2. is a front elevation of the same, Fig. 8. is a perspective of the foot used on my device.

In the drawings, the numeral 1, designates an arch supporting member designed to be attached to the opening shank of a planter and extends toward the rear of the machine. A foot 2 is pivotally attached to the supporting member and is arranged to carry a suitable plow 3. An arm 4 is made integral with the foot and projects substantially in a right angular position. At the forward end of the arm 4, a yoke 5 has connection. The side members of the yoke are flared out at 6 so as to allow a spring 8 to be supported between them. This spring surrounds a rod 9 which is suspended from the supporting member 1, and is held in position by a cap 10 and a tap 11. It is obvious that the tension of the spring 8 can be regulated by screwing the tap 11 on the rod 9, so as to adapt the plow to difi'erent kinds of soil. Should the plow encounter a stump or stone the foot 2 will swing back drawing the arm 5 down against the tension of the spring 8 until the plow has passed over the obstacle, then the spring will return the plow to its normal position.

It will be noted that when the plow and foot encounter an obstruction, the latter is swung so that the arm 4: is carried downward and said arm being shorter than the stem of the foot will move only a limited distance. The yoke being pivoted to the outer end of the arm will be pulled almost directly downward. This gives a positive action on the spring and relieves it from all lateral strain. It is further to be observed that the foot has the general form of a bell crank lever pivoted at the intersection of its arms, a perfect swinging action being the result.

What I claim is:

1. A spring trip foot comprising an arched supporting member, a foot member having the form of a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on the extreme lower end of the supporting member, one end of the foot being arranged to receive a plow, the upper end of the foot member projecting forward beneath the arched supporting member, a yoke having its lower end contracted and pivotally connected to the forward projection of the foot member, said yoke provided with an aperture in its upper end, a bolt hingedly mounted on the supporting member and extended downward through said aperture in the yoke, a stop arranged on the lower threaded portion of the bolt, and a spring encircling the bolt between the stop and the upper end of the yoke.

2. In a spring trip foot, the combination with the arch plow standard of a planter, a foot having the form of a bell crank lever, the foot being pivoted at the intersections of its arms to the extreme lower end of the plow standard, the lower end of the foot adapted to receive a plow, the upper end of the foot projecting forward beneath the arch standard, a vertical yoke having its lower end contracted and pivoted to the extreme forward end of the foot, a vertical rod piv- In testimony whereof I have signed lny oted at its upper end to the top of the arch name to this specification in the presence of standard and extending into the yoke, the two subscribing witnesses.

yoke adapted to slide on the rod, an adjust- JOHN G. VANCE. able stop on the lower end of the rod, and a Vitnesses:

spring encircling the rod between the upper C. E. DUKE,

end of the yoke and the stop. 1?. A. NOWLIN. 

